World News
Sentencing hearing begins in New South Wales for man who murdered Molly Ticehurst
Family members delivered victim impact statements to Daniel Billings, whose case prompted stricter domestic violence bail laws across the state.
The short version
- The New South Wales Supreme Court opened the sentencing hearing for Daniel Billings, who pleaded guilty to the April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst.
- Ticehurst's family addressed Billings in court, describing their loss and the impact of the killing.
- The murder prompted New South Wales to reform its bail regulations for domestic violence suspects under legislation referred to as Molly's Law.
- Justice Natalie Adams is scheduled to deliver Billings' formal sentence later in September.
Key facts
- Daniel Billings pleaded guilty in November 2025 to murdering his 28-year-old former partner Molly Ticehurst in Forbes on April 21, 2024.[The Guardian]
- The court heard Billings broke into Ticehurst's bedroom and stabbed her 15 times during an attack lasting less than a minute.[The Guardian]
- Billings had previously been granted bail two weeks before the murder by a court registrar despite facing domestic violence and rape allegations, which were dropped following his guilty plea for murder.[The Guardian]
- Ticehurst's killing prompted New South Wales authorities to enact stricter bail laws regarding domestic violence offenses.[The Guardian]
- Justice Natalie Adams will consider additional offenses, including animal cruelty and breaching an apprehended violence order, before issuing a sentence later in September.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The specific length of Billings' prison sentence remains undetermined until Justice Natalie Adams hands down the judgment later in September.[The Guardian]